verb
- to make someone suffer for doing something wrong or breaking a rule
- to treat someone or something harshly or severely
Usage: informal
Examples
- The teacher will punish students who cheat on the exam.
- Parents should punish bad behavior consistently.
- The judge decided to punish the criminal with five years in prison.
- Don’t punish the whole class for one student’s mistake.
- The harsh weather punished the hikers during their climb.
- She punished her body with an intense workout routine.
- The coach punished the team with extra practice after their poor performance.